Who would’ve thought Allen West would go squishy? During the Florida Republican’s successful campaign for the House, West became a tea party sensation with his speech urging supporters to take up arms against “a tyrannical government.”

It’s too darn hot. From Maine to Hawaii, the mercury has been stuck on high. The oven-like conditions in the United States are just the latest in a series of extreme weather events over the past year — epic floods in Pakistan and Australia, record heat waves in Moscow, the heaviest snowfall in more than a century in South Korea.

More than 4.7 million people — including children and the elderly — are bitten by dogs each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s nearly 2 percent of the American population.

Some stories stick with you. For me, it’s the saga of the Starbound.

As chairman of the House Trade Working Group, I am often portrayed as anti-trade. Nothing could be further from the truth. Trade always has been and will continue to be a pillar of American ideals and commerce, and I strongly support it. What I don’t support is blindly pursuing the same trade policy that we’ve pursued for decades without analyzing how we can make it work better and improve our economy.

Resignations from Gov. Paul LePage’s cabinet prompted some thoughts about the precarious balancing act by successful commissioners of state agencies.